Combination storage and dispensing rack



Se t. 29, 1953 I T. F. VOLLTEN 2,553,850

COMBINATION STORAGE AND DIsPENsmG RACK Filed Nov. 17, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l 31 iLf ,4 26 4 I E I I 1 E 1 /Ig, j

INVENTOR.

Sept. 29, 1953 VOLLTEN 2,653,850

COMBINATION STORAGE AND DISPENSING RACK Filed Nov. 17, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

F v v W 3. WM 1 1151 2;

center axis of the chip rack.

Patented Sept. 29, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION STORAGE AND DISPENSING RACK,

Theodore F. Vollten, Bethesda, Md. Application November 17, 1949, Serial No. 127,818

3 Claims. (Cl. 312-47) The present invention relates to an ornamental and mechanically novel combination storage and dispensing rack for chips, game counters or similar articles.

The primary object of the invention is the pro vision of a device of the character described which presents an article of pleasing appearance for conveniently storing chips or game counters and additionally novelly dispenses the chips or counters and simultaneously tallies or counts out chips as they are dispensed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character described from which a predetermined number of chipscan be conveniently andquickly dispensed and automatically totalled on a visible counter.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character described in which the dispensing chips are brought automatically exterior of the rack for collection and in which the chips cannot be dispensed in the absence of positioningthe mechanism for delivering the chips exterior of the rack or the housing in which the rack is positioned.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a novel means for facilitating the loading of the chips in the rack.

Other objects, benefits and advantages together with novel features of construction will appear from and be pointed out in the following description when read in the light of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by arrows.

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation, a portion of the figure being broken away and shown in vertical section to better illustrate the construction.

Fig. 4 is a detailed view in vertical section of the bottom end of the rotary chip rack and the rotary dispensing plate.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the invention, some of the drawers being shown in extended or open positions.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front view of the upper end of the dispenser, a portion of the view being broken away and illustrated in vertical section.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the rotary chip storage and carrying rack.

Fig. 8 is a View in vertical section from front to back of the machine and substantially on the Fig. 9 is a rear view of the front or face of the cabinet.

Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view on the line l0-l0 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction indicated by arrows, a large portion of the bottom end of the rotary rack being broken away to illustrate the dispenser plate therebeneath.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detailed and enlarged bottom view illustrating the locking mechanism of the rotary dispensing plate.

Fig- 12 is a view in vertical section taken on the line lZ-I 2 of Fig. 11 looking in the direction indicated by arrows. I

In reading the following detailed description of the invention it is to be understood that the device is not limited in use to chips or game counters of any particular or specific diameter or thickness and that it is not limited to dispensing said elements in units of any particular number. This is so because the mere change in the dimensions of the tubes of the rack will accommodate chips or counters of various sizes and dimensions and a mere change in the thickness of the dispenser plate will provide for dispensing them in any predetermined numbers at each operation of the dispensing plate. Other variables and alterations to accommodate specific circumstances can be likewise made and the invention is there fore to be limited only within the scope of the hereinafter appended claims. a

For convenience of description the device is referred to generally as a dispenser but this term is intended to include the storage of as well as the dispensing of the chips or counters.

A cabinet A, made of plastic, wood, metal or any other material having a pleasing appearance and color, is made up of a face I, end walls 2 and 3, a top 4, a back 5 and a bottom 6. The cabinet is illustrated as being generally rectangular in configuration but it could be made in other shapes, such as circular, without departing from the inventive concept.

Spaced vertical walls I and 8 interior of the cabinet divide at the sides thereof chambers B and C. Spacing bracers 9 and I0 maintain these walls in proper position. Drawer supporting plates II and I2 are disposed in these chambers intermediate their heights. The space between the walls 1 and 8 provides a chamber which is divided into an upper chamber D and a lower chamber Eby a horizontally disposed base plate or deck l3. I

By reference to Fig. 9 it will be seen that the face plate I of the cabinet is provided with drawer reception openings I4, [5, I6 and I! for the reception of the drawers l8, I9, 20 and 2|. The

drawers I8 and I9 are for the reception or storage of decks of cards, the drawer 20, as will hereinafter appear, for the reception of chips or counters while the drawer 2! is for the reception of tally scores, pencils and other miscellaneous items such as are commonly used in respect to games.

The rotary dispensing plate F i positioned above the deck or base l3 and is provided with an actuating handle 22 which extends outwardly be yond the cabinet front wall through a horizon: tally elongated slot 23. This plate is provided with a vertical passageway to provide a chip reception pocket 24. This pocket is of the proper diameter to receive the particular chips or count: I

ers being used and the thickness of the plate is such that the pocket will receive and hold ei'raiztty five chips. Were it desirable for any reason the plate could be thickened or thinned to hold greater or lesser numbers of chips. The deck or base I3 is provided with a vertical passageway 25 of the proper diameter for the passage of chips therethrough in a manner illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The rotary chip storage rack, designated as an entirety by G, is mounted above the dispensing plate F for rotation about a vertical axis. This rack circular in shapean'd comprises a head or 'top 26 and a bottom 21. These elements are interconnected by a plurality of 'o'p'en ended chip reception and storage tubes H. This rack is hasten rotatable by a knob 28 above the cabinet top 4 due to the shaft 29 interconnecting the knob and the rack base 21. By means of the knob the open ends of the tubes H can selectively be brought into alignment with the chip passageway 30 in'the cabinet top 4. To increase the chip capacity of the passageway 30 the thickness of the cabinet top 4 is increased by providing a disc 3| I as clearly appears in Fig. 6 of the drawings. Ordinarily chips or cijunters or different colors are used and it is intended that the several tubes be "a'dedfwi'th differentcolored chips. The tubes are loaded through their upper ends through the passageway 3i], when a tube is completely filled the schemes illustrated in Fig. 6 exists, that is here "he chips J in the passagewa 30. B'y rothe'i'a'ck these chips are carried across to fall in the neiit adliaoent hr following empty or only partly loaded tube H.

v in cperationit is intended that the dispensing plate F be oscillated by manual "movement of the handle 22. 'Th'i's 'is for the pur ose or bringing the chip oc et 24 into alignment with the plate passageway 25 to permit the five chip's J to 'fall freely into the open top of the drawer 20 as is illustrated in Fig. '4. However provision is made tb'prevent operatibn of the dispensing plate unless the drawer 20 is pulled outwardly from the cabinet as illustrated in Fig. sot'hat the chips when they are dispensed will slide outwardly and downwardly along the bottom of the downwardly inclined drawer so that they are cohveniently'accesslble. This arrangement is found to be desirable but could be eliminated, that is, dispensof the chips could be permitted while the mw sm i s s io The dispensing plate F is provided with an outwardly and downwardly extending pin 32 which extends through an elongated slotted opening 33 in the plate I3. A coil spring 34 is attached to this pin and as the dispensing plate is manually moved by the handle 22 tension in this spring is built up with the result that when the handle is released the spring will return the dispensing plate to its original starting position. During this movement of the dispensing plate the pin 32 travels in the arcuate slot 33. However when the drawer is closed the bracket or arm 35 on the rear end of the drawer strikes a depending arm 36 on the horizontally slidable lock K mounted on the bottom of the plate l3. This lock is provided with a channelway 31 which may be brought in alignment with the passageway 33 as is illustrated in Fig. 12. A spring 38 tends normally to slide the lock to position the channelway 31 in alignment with the passageway 33 to tia'v'el bf the dispensing plate pin 32 in this passageway. However when the drawer 20 is closed the bracket 25 thereof engages the leg 36 of the lock and pushes the lock to the left, viewing Fig. 1-2; and moves the channelway 31 out of registry with the slot 33. This movement at the lock by the drawer moves the lock portion 39 across the passageway and blocks movement of the 'pin 32 and hence rotation of the dispensing plate F.

The circumferential edge of the rack bottom 21 is provided with a plurality of notches or indentations 40 one each of which is positioned opposite a chip tube H. A spring 4| is tension'ed to normally engage one of these notches with 'the consequence that this spring will properly position the lower open ends of the tubes in alignment with the chip pocket 24 of the dispensing plate F. This provides assurance that as the rack is manually rotated by the knob 28 the spring 41 will periodically engage the notches and upon each of its engagements with a notch will position a chip tube H with the pocket 24.

Y It is desirable to maintain a count for the dispensed chips in that not only 'an over-all tally of the total chips is maintained but also due to the fact that the dispensing plate may be rapidly oscillated to dispense a number of chips into the "drawer for distribution to a player.

Accordinglya counter is provided and is visible 'on the front face of the wall I of the cabinet. This counter comprises a suitable dial 42 at the front of the cabinet. This 'dial is mounted on a shaft -43 extending into the interior of the cabinet and carrying on its inner end a ratchet wheel :44. {in arm 45 ispivotallymounted as at 46 on the rear face oi: the cabinet front I and is norfrn'ally held i'n'the position illustrated in Fig. '9 by a spring 4'l. The spring there fore normally holds a gear actuating pawl 48 out of engagement with the teeth of the gear 44. However it will be seen that as the handle 22 is manually maipulated it n strike the abutment 49 on the lgwer endjof the lever or arm 45 and swing the pawl 48 into engagement with the gear 44, The movements of the parts are calibrated -so that en each complete oscillation of the chip dispensing plate by the lever 22 the gear-'44 will be rotated to advance the dial reading on the counter five digits to visibly record the dispensliI lEQfthe five chips contained in the pocket 24 of the-chip dispensing plate '1 I qo nplet e removal of the drawer 20 is preventd by a pin so mounted in the divider win 1 which has an end extending into the elongated slot 5| provided in the side wall *52 of the drawer. This permits the drawerfto assume the downwardly'inclined position illustrated in 5 of the drawings when it is withdrawn from the calziiriet.

From the foregoing it wlll'be seen that anemeient chip storageand dispenser is provided in a pleasing and ornamental form. The cabinet constitutes a convenient storage receptacle for chips, cards and other game accessories and when not in use will add to rather than detract from the appearance of the room in which it is kept.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, a storage rack having therein a vertically disposed open-ended chip reception and storage tube, a dispensing plate positioned beneath the rack and provided with a chip reception pocket normally in alignment with the lower open end of said tube to form a continuation thereof, a deck beneath said plate and provided with a passageway for chips, said passageway being normally out of alignment with the pocket of the plate, said plate being rotatable to move the pocket thereof in alignment with the chip passageway of the deck, the storage rack, dispensing plate and deck being within a cabinet, a drawer beneath the deck, said drawer when extended from said cabinet having a portion disposed beneath the chip passageway of the deck, said drawer when extended being downwardly inclined, a lock acting when the drawer is in a closed position to prevent rotation of the dispensing plate, means when said drawer is moved to open position moving said lock out of locking relationship with the dispensing plate, and means for manually rotating the plate.

2. In a device of the character described, a storage rack having therein a plurality of spaced apart vertically disposed chip reception and storage tubes each having a lower open end, a dispensing plate positioned beneath the rack and provided with a chip reception pocket normally in alignment with the lower open end of one of said tubes to form a continuation thereof, said rack being rotatable to selectively align an open tube end with said pocket, a deck beneath said plate and provided with a passageway for chips which passageway is normally out of alignment with the pocket of the plate, said plate being rotatable to move the pocket thereof in alignment with the chip passageway of the deck, the storage rack, dispensing plate and deck being within a cabinet, a drawer beneath the deck, said drawer when extended from said cabinet having a portion disposed beneath the chip passageway of the deck, said drawer when extended being downwardly inclined, a lock acting when the drawer is in a closed position to prevent rotation of the dispensing plate, means when said drawer is moved to open position moving said lock out of locking relationship with the dispensing plate, and means for manually rotating the plate.

3. In a device of the character described, a cabinet, a rack therein provided with a plurality of vertically disposed chip reception and storage tubes having lower open ends, a dispensing plate beneath said rack and provided with an openended pocket normally having communication with the open end of one of said tubes, said plate closing the open ends of the remainder of said tubes, a deck normally closing the open lower end of said pocket but provided with a chip passageway, said plate being movable to bring the pocket thereof in registry with said passageway, a chip reception drawer in said cabinet beneath said passageway and movable outwardly from the cabinet for delivery of chips external of the cabinet, said drawer when in an extended position having a portion disposed beneath the chip passageway of the deck, a movable lock for locking the dispensing plate against movement, said drawer when in a closed position engaging and moving said lock to lock the plate against movement, resilient means moving said lock to an unlocked position when the drawer is moved into an extended position, and said rack being movable to selectively bring the open ends of the chip reception and storage tubesinto alignedcommunication with the open upper end of the chip pocket.

THEODORE F. VOLLTEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 461,461 Whiteside Oct. 20, 1891 688,874 McCullough Dec. 1'7, 1901 1,127,319 Thompson Feb. 2, 1915 1,280,658 Byrd Oct. 8, 1918 1,549,466 Doldt Aug. 11, 1925 1,256,022 Gabriel Sept. 16, 1941 1,378,868 Richmond June 19, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 65,091 Switzerland Oct. 20,1913 111,675 Austria 1928 

